Beauty and the Beast
by Ardentlover
Summary: An AU for Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Sesshoumaru is known for his lack of compassion and merciless rule. No one disobeyed Sesshoumaru. Then a curse turns Lord Sesshoumaru human by night; could he learn to find love and compassion to break the curse?
1. Prologue

Prologue

The demon world was separate from the human world. Many humans went their whole lives without ever encountering a demon, which they preferred. Though, they were ignorant of the demon territories that possibly kept them alive without their knowing.

France remained in the rule of the Inu-Youkai Family, under the Inu no Taisho;The Great Dog prowled throughout France and maintained a steady control while expanding his territories and keeping a strong alliance throughout Europe.

Fate so have it killed the Great Dog Demon, leaving his eldest son, Lord Sesshoumaru, in control of the lands, and his second son and half-brother of Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, a valuable inheritance of northern Spain.

Sesshoumaru proved to be a great ruler, he maintained the borders and expanded them twice the size they were when left by his father, and in less the time it took his father to try. Though what Sesshoumaru excelled in power he lacked in compassion. Sesshoumaru was known for being merciless for insubordination and disloyalty. He punished much more than he rewarded. No one disobeyed Lord Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru built a great castle in the west of France, the Ardennes Mountains. The castle stood atop a mountainous plateau, and overlooked countless villages which received protection for their loyalty to the Dog lord. Humans were as much unaware to the change of power as they were to the demons that surrounded them. And Lord Sesshoumaru forbade interaction with the human world because the Lord detested nothing more than humans; they were weak and a nuisance to him. And it was because of his hate for humans, he sought to vanquish his half brother, Inuyasha: who was also half human, and take over his inheritance.

* * *

In the midst of his preparations to lead a force against Inuyasha, a haggard human woman appeared at Lord Sesshoumaru's castle. She was all too aware of the great Lord's rule and the demons that surrounded her world. She came begging for the protection of her village which was being threatened to be attacked by a German army. Sesshoumaru was disgusted and angered that the woman dared to appear before him, much more ask for his protection. He turned her down, and before he could enact any punishment to the woman, her body began to shine with unholy powers. Her ugliness melted away and an enchantress appeared before Lord Sesshoumaru.

Though stunned, Lord Sesshoumaru did not falter in his order to capture to her. The demon soldiers were flung back and the enchantress began to place a curse on Sesshoumaru.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," she said in a voice as sweet as honey, "I came to you for a request of help. And with your denial, I can tell there is no compassion in your heart. "

Lord Sesshoumaru became angry and prepared himself for his own attack on her, but his body was immobilized. He could not even speak.

The enchantress continued, "The hate and anger in your heart will only lead to your demise, Lord Sesshoumaru, and I seek to change you. I place a spell on you that will turn you into that which you so detest-human, by night. And you shall also take under your care this human babe." A baby appeared before Lord Sesshoumaru, sleeping peacefully. "Do not think that you can kill this baby, for it is connected with your life. If she is hurt or killed, you shall also suffer the same fate."

Lord Sesshoumaru grew ever more furious, and felt his youki power rise; he would not let himself be put under such a curse. But it was too late, his power was instantly sucked away from him; his claws were reduced to simple hands, and his royal markings erased from his alabaster skin.

"You shall be given fifteen years. If you cannot love and have compassion for all living beings, you shall remain a full human for the rest of your life. Night and day." She paused to place one single finger on Lord Sesshoumaru's chest. "If you cannot love a woman and earn her love in return, you shall remain powerless and weak. Your empire shall fall, and those around you will betray you." And with that she disappeared.

Lord Sesshoumaru was unbound and stood stunned. The babe began wailing in displeasure from being awoken. The soldiers surrounding Lord Sesshoumaru stared in awe at the two. Their lord was no longer full demon, in the least, during nightfall. They would know better not to turn on him, even during this temporary weakness. Lord Sesshoumaru, even human, looked dangerous and foreboding.

"Lo-Lord Sesshoumaru," said a squeaky voice and the head butler of the castle, Jaken, came forward and bowed, "Our loyalty to you shall not change and we shall do all possible to take this foul curse off you."

The rest present also bowed in respect, some with hesitation. And all that was heard was the babe's crying.


	2. Chapter One: Ten Years Later

**A/N: Hey there readers! Thank you so much for your comments on my prologue and hope this chapter satisfies you for the time being. I didn't expect my jobs and school to take away from my time to write. **  
**I hope I didn't rush this chapter too much. Or seem too descriptive. please read and review. Constructive criticism would be very much appreciated! This is my first fan fictiona nd I would like help form you guys to make sure I'm doing things good :) **  
**Thanks again, and hope I don't scare you away! Enjoy!**

Also Sorry if my "editations" spammed your e-mails -_-" My internet has been whack and I had to keep re-adding. Sorry!

**Inuyasha(C) Rumiko Takahashi**

**Beauty and the Beast (C) Disney**

Chapter one: Ten years later

Jaken spent most of his evenings in his small study on the north side of the castle; spending the nights studying various books on spells and curses in the hopes of finding a sure way of lifting Lord Sesshoumaru's curse. But it all proved vain. Ten years have gone by, and still, no other option was left for Lord Sesshoumaru.

With a sigh, the little imp rose from his desk, ready to call it a night, until he heard a creak at the door.

"Jaken." Lord Sesshoumaru said in a heavily annoyed voice.

"Oh, Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken jumped up and bowed; it was a surprise to see the Lord out, he rarely stepped out of his room in his…condition.

"Why is Rin not in her room?" Lord Sesshoumaru's temper was slowly rising. It was just as rare for Rin to break rules. "Should her guard not have allowed her to leave?"

Jaken straightened up, "Y-yes, My Lord, I shall immediately locate her and assign her a new guard…" He ended nervously.

"Hn, do not bother, I shall find her." He already knew where Rin would be, even in so late an hour. Raising her from infancy, he knew her better than she knew herself.

* * *

In the library, Rin walked from book shelf to book shelf at a speed that even the lizard demon guard that protected her found it difficult to follow her. She was a blur in his eyes, if was hard for him to believe she was only human.

"Tell me, Lumiere, what would be a good book to read?" Rin said, while reading the titles of the various books surrounding her.

"I am unsure, my lady, I rarely read…" Lumier gulped."It would be best to get you to bed, Rin. Lord Sesshoumaru will not be pleased to find you breaking curfew. "

"Oh hush. I know I am to obey Lord Sesshoumaru. But he must learn to lighten up. I am simply in need of a book." Rin tip-toed to the highest shelf she could reach and grabbed an old tattered book. "And I've found it!" She smiled up to Lumiere only until she dropped it to find Lord Sesshoumaru at the door; frowning in disapproval. "Oh! Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Lumier jumped up and turned to bow in much the same fashion as Jaken. "Lord Sesshoumaru, please forgive me, I should not have allowed Rin out of her room past curfew." Lumier closed his eyes to await his punishment. (He was temporarily glad that Sesshoumaru was only human at present.)

Lord Sesshoumaru contemplated a punishment for the lizard demon, though in the present moment, he did not feel compelled enough to punish him. When Lord Sesshoumaru was human, his punishments tended to be more severe in order to stress that even when he was in this state, he is as unmerciful human as he is a demon, and would not allow slacking. "You are dismissed for now. I shall deal with you tomorrow. Now return to your post and I shall escort Rin to her room myself." Lord Sesshoumaru said in a dead tone.

Lumier immediately left without a word.

Rin bowed her head and picked up her book and candle stick, "Please forgive my bad behavior My Lord."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru assessed Rin. Tomorrow marked the tenth anniversary of the curse and when the girl standing in front of him was left under his care; tied onto his life. Everything she felt, he felt: pain, sorrow, and happiness. Despite strict upbringing and laws preventing her from going anywhere in the outside world, she took to them lightly; she was much too spirited, and too…human. Lord Sesshoumaru very much tried to detest the girl, he wanted to shun her and rid him of her, but could not bring himself to, and thus kept his punishments light on her.

It was this fact, too, keeping her punishments light, that Lord Sesshoumaru took extra care to conceal from his servants in the castle. For the past ten years he'd managed to maintain the fear factor in his castle and in his territories. And no one outside the castle knew of Rin's existence, a fact he takes seriously and must be kept so.

"My Lord, I've been meaning to ask you…"

Sesshoumaru was brought out of his brief reverie, "What is it?"

"I request to have a governess." Rin stood up straight in much the same manner Sesshoumaru did and raised her head proudly.

Sesshoumaru had to admire her boldness at times, "Hn… Is Jaken not a sufficient tutor? I shall tell him your displeasure with his methods—"

"Oh no, my lord! It's just..." bringing her head down, "Master Jaken babbles too much, and I would also like to learn other subjects than our demon history…"

Sesshoumaru frowned, "Our?"

"Excuse me my lord…_Your_ history…"

Lord Sesshoumaru thought for a moment and examined his ward. "I shall consider it." Sesshoumaru felt her loneliness; Rin was not only aching for a governess, but for some female companion. And knowing this irritated him, it would have him submit to her request to take that sorrow away.

Unknowing of Lord Sesshoumaru's displeasure, Rin nodded and smiled, "Yes my Lord," and she continued a steady pace behind Sesshoumaru, following him to the east side of the castle.

"Oh, Lord Sesshoumaru, will you be away on business tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes. I shall be gone until mid afternoon. The wolf demons in the area have been causing trouble with human villages. And I hope when I return that I find no more trouble from you." Lord Sesshoumaru said sternly.

"Yes, my Lord," and kept her silence the remainder of the walk to her bedroom.

As Rin grew up with Lord Sesshoumaru's detachment, felt she had some connection with him. She did not fully understand why Lord Sesshoumaru "protectiveness," (at least that was what she called it.) When visitors came, she would be hidden away or sent to a nearby estate of Lord Sesshoumaru's.

And she knew better than to ask why Lord Sesshoumaru became human at night, she understood his sensitivity to it, and particularly how he truly felt about humans. Regardless, Rin felt herself special enough to him, that she held some importance in his life. It was the romantic in her, even at the age of ten, that was patient with Lord Sesshoumaru's detachment and aimed to warm his heart up, but she needed help…she wanted Lord Sesshoumaru to learn to love.

Lord Sesshoumaru opened Rin's room and allowed her to enter before him. Rin, already dressed for bed, ran straight to her large bed and tucked herself in, hiding her chosen book under her pillow.

"Good night, Lord Sesshoumaru, and I hope your business tomorrow goes well." She said softly as he carefully tucked her in, one of Lord Sesshoumaru's very few acts of gentleness.

"Good Night, Rin." Sesshoumaru said from her door, and closed it.

* * *

The carriage came up to the modest cottage of white brick. Careful, not to stir up the chickens pecking around the fence, Kagome ran up to the porch in excitement.

"Mama! Bonjour! I'm home!" She yelled, while opening the door.

"Kagome!" yelled her mother and brother, Souta, from their activities in their two bedroom house.

"We're so glad you're finally home!" Kagome's mother embraced her and kissed her cheek. "And you're here early, we thought it would take the carriage until mid-day for you to arrive," she paused to look out the window, "Souta, dear, can you please help the coach man?"

"Oui, mama," and he ran out.

Turning back to her daughter, "And I'm so glad you're finally back home from school. It was too long a time that you were gone." Though she did not show it, Kagome's mother felt the pang of loneliness without her eldest daughter around. Even when she still had her son and father, Souta helped him with the crops most of the day, leaving her to herself.

Kagome smiled thoughtfully at her mother, "I'm glad to be back home, too. For good this time, I decided I might become a teacher at the church. Passing by the town on our way here, there was a sign about it." Kagome looked around the small room that housed their family of four; it was all…too nostalgic.

"And where's grandpa?" Her semi-eccentric grandfather was nowhere in sight.

"Oh he's in the back working on another one of his inventions." Kagome's mother replied and went towards the back of the house to open the back door.

"And Shippo?"

"He is with him too, he'll be happy to see you back," she smiled back at her daughter as she walked around the corner to the basement.

Though it was forbidden, Kagome frequently kept company with demons, though in secret from human knowledge. Before entering school years ago, she stumbled down a small hill that sprained her ankle; she would have been stuck there all night had it not been for the small fox demon that came to help her. Shippo was very young at the time, and did not know better than to talk to be with humans, but he helped her and called for her family. They were surprised that the demon child would call for their help, but they were eternally grateful.

"Grandfather, Shippo?" Kagome called out as she entered the old ragedy entrance of the basement.

"Kagome!" yelled a fuzz ball of peach and orange flung himself into Kagome's embrace. "I'm happy you're back! I missed you! You're here to stay right?" and his large green eyes began to tear up and pout.

Kagome laughed, "I'm glad, too, Shippo, and yes, I'm back to stay, my schooling is done. And have you been out of trouble?"

Shippo ducked his head down slightly, "Well, there's been trouble since you last visited months ago."

"Oh?" her smile turned into a frown of confusion.

"Yes, apparently wolf demons have been roaming closer to our area for the past month. They've been eating the towns' livestock and causing trouble for travelers. Though no one, luckily, has been killed yet…" her grandfather popped out from behind his latest contraption, carrying large bifocals and an odd looking hammer in his hand. "I'm glad you made it home safely, Kagome."

"Oh, me too, Grandpa." She came to him and kissed his cheek, still holding Shippo in her arms. "So I take it you haven't been out much?" directing her question back to Shippo.

"Yeah, the town's folk have gotten even more hostile towards any demon—or animal for that matter, that comes their way." Shippo replied. "But I'm alright, you guys are family to me, and I don't know any better place to stay! I tell you, there aren't any other humans like you!"

Kagome smiled sadly, she and her family were probably the only humans who accepted demons to have kinder sides, too. In a way, demons were like humans, they had their bad sides and their good sides.

"And what about Jinenji? How has he faired? I did not get the chance to see him months ago when I visited before summer began." Kagome asked, about an old friend she met around the time she came to know Shippo. Jinenju was not like any demon she would of thought, he was half, and the kindest creature anyone could meet with an extensive knowledge of herbs and medicines that have helped with her grandfather's arthritis.

Kagome's grandfather and Shippo put their heads down, "Well, he has been alright, though he hasn't stopped by much for the same reason, and his mother has passed recently…"grandfather said lastly. "Though, he has moved a couple miles from us, in hopes that he won't be troubled by the wolf demons. One can only imagine what a full demon would think of a half demon...poor fellow."

"Oh…then I should pay him a visit, it is still early." Kagome put Shippo down and walked to the basement's only window, "how far is it?"

"It is…say, five miles west from here. Not too far." Her grandfather replied, "Though I'm not too comfortable with you going on your own. I do not want wolf demons devouring my only granddaughter, "he finished sternly.

Kagome smiled, she missed her grandfather's protectiveness, he was the closest thing to a father she had.

"I'll go with her!" Shippo interjected, jumping up and down, "I know I may look small and weak, but I've been working on my fox magic! I can at least create an illusion for us to get away if there's any trouble!"

Her Grandfather raised an eyebrow, "And for some reason I do not seem to feel any more relieved. I do recall you burning one of our trees down."

Shippo paused and made a serious face, "Hey, that was an accident!"

Kagome laughed, "Oh, I'll be alright, you can come along Shippo, we can walk five miles fast and still be back a little later than mid-day," she went up to her grandfather and hugged him, "I'll be back safe, I'll go tell Mama and Souta."


	3. Chapter two: Prisoner

**A/N: Thanks on the goo reviews and hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter two: Prisoner

The journey west from Metz proved vigorous than Kagome assumed. The road was uneven with rocks of irregular sizes along the road—it now obvious to Kagome why Jineji chose to live in such a rough terrain. The less humans willing to travel, the better; and no carriage could simply run through without turning over.

"Uh, have you traveled this way before, Shippo?" Kagome asked, nearly tripping on the seventh rock since their journey began.

"No. Normally I fly over. I've only visited once and it was when he just started building his house." Shippo maneuvered easily through the stones by hopping. "We could fly over there if you'd like, Kagome."

"Oh no, that would be a bad idea, we don't want to get any attention."

Shippo gulped, "You're right, I forgot about Lord Sesshoumaru's law." At the saying of Lord Sesshoumaru's name, Kagome noticed that his whole being tensed up and he began looking over his shoulder more often.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"He's the Lord of most of Europe and some of Asia… he forbids any demon from meddling with humans." He looked apologetically at Kagome.

"You never mentioned that before, and now that I think of it, nor hasn't Jinenji." Kagome stopped to think, "What would happen if he knew I was with you guys?"

Shippo gulped a second time and made a quick slashing movement across is neck. Kagome turned pale and nodded. "Oh."

They continued their travel in silence, apprehensive for any threat that could come their way; though eventually, Shippo grew tired of the silence and began planting trick mushrooms at separate intervals in the crevices in the stones, (all the while giggling to himself.)

"Shippo, what are you doing?" Kagome asked as she saw him drop his "upenteenth" mushroom in another crevice.

"Just a little trick for anyone that passes by. These mushrooms will sense any demonic aura that comes too close, so they'll start screaming out loud, and some of these with blue dots, will explode! "He held the two similar mushrooms up, "and it will also help warn us if there's danger!" He stood up proudly on his rock, "See! My fox magic will protect us, I told you I was practicing."

Kagome didn't have time to roll her eyes when at that moment, a couple mushrooms exploded some distance behind them, and some other mushrooms were screaming. "Oh no…what could that be!" Kagome grabbed Shippo by the arm and began running away from the noise. "I thought I probably sensed something earlier…"

After being around demons, Kagome developed a sixth sense of sensing the demonic auras emitted from the demons, though, only to an extent—she could not tell the difference between something menacing and something safe.

Then there was howling and barking.

"It's the wolf demons!" Shippo yelled, as he looked over Kagome's shoulder. "Oh no, we're in trouble now!"

The wolf demons were still some distance away, but Kagome knew it only took a couple leaps for them to reach them in no time, and the road only slowed her down the more. So without second thoughts, Kagome leaped into the forest where the floor was more even and ran faster—being careful not to crash into low branches.

The orange and brown fallen leaves proved just as strenuous; they were wet and caused Kagome to slip often. "Are they behind us?" Kagome looked over her shoulder to check herself—but at the wrong time—and she instantly slipped on a pile of leaves and began rolling down a slope.

"Kagome, watch out!" Shippo yelled, carefully sheltered in Kagome's arms.

She continued rolling until she was able to turn herself and slide the rest of the way. And she made it to a more evenly spread road, sheltered by the rocks from the mountains close to them.

Kagome stopped to catch her breath and look up at the slope she just fell from. "Oh God…" But instead of congratulating herself on their quick escape, she cursed as she saw the wolves already at the top of the slope, watching them predatorily. The leader of the pack was obvious, he appeared human, but the furs and armor around his body as clothing showed who he was in nature; long black hair tied tightly at the top of his head, and blue eyes staring into her brown ones. He stared at her with an evil smirk on his face.

Shippo began shaking, and it brought Kagome back from her momentary panic. Looking quickly to her right, she could see a clearing not too far…_maybe Jinenji is there. We shouldn't be too far I think…_Kagome took her chance and ran again for the clearing. And it did not seem like the wolves were continuing their pursuit.

"They're toying with us!" Kagome gasped, and ran faster.

They entered the clearing, though it was not as big as Kagome assumed, it only led to a finely paved entrance to an immense gate, and a bridge leading to an enormous castle that seemed more part of the mountain than a fortress.

"Wh-where are we?" Shippo whispered, "And who's that?"

Kagome looked to where Shippo was pointing; a little girl was picking flowers just outside the gate, being approached slowly by what looked to be guards—lizard demon guards. Kagome sensed the guards' auras but the little girl had none_, She has to be human!_

"Oh no, we must help her!" Kagome yelled and continued running towards her.

"What about us!" Shippo looked over her shoulder, "The wolf demons are behind us!"

Kagome reached the surprised girl, "Come on, we must get out of here. These demons are going to hurt us." Kagome reached out her hand, and was even more surprised to see the little girl only back away from her, towards the guards.

In an instant the guards surrounded them, "Lady Rin!" one of them said, "Please head back to the castle, the wolf demons are here!" Paying no regard to Kagome or Shippo, they placed themselves in the straight line, creating a barrier between them and the oncoming wolf demons.

"Wha-What's going on?" Kagome whispered to Shippo.

"Oh no…I think I know where we are now," he replied shakily.

"Come with me!" the little girl grabbed Kagome's still outstretched hand and led her into the gates and across the bridge.

Kagome took a quick glance behind her and saw a confrontation occurring between the wolves and the guards; the pack leader seemed to be simply brushing off what's been going on. Slyly giving her and the little girl quick glances and smirking.

"Master Kouga, Lord Sesshoumaru has left in search of you, why have to come to the castle," said the captain of the guards.

"Well, well, so the great dog lord does come out of the castle. It would be a great pleasure to meet with him, but I merely came in chase of my prey. You see, that human and fox demon you unnoticeably just took under your care, has caused us a meal. And we'd really like it back," Kouga responded, not bothering to hide the heavy amounts of sarcasm he implied.

The captain stayed quiet, he had hoped the wolf leader did not notice the humans, hoping to deal with the extras later. "We shall send word to Lord Sesshoumaru. So we demand your cooperation and stay with in this clearing or be detained."

At that, a demon guard spreadxhis wings and flew in the east direction.

It did not take long for Lord Sesshoumaru to arrive, having taken the form of a mystical mist to transfer him to the gates of his castle. His white hair flying in the burst of air that came around him as he placed himself in front of Kouga.

Kouga, being just a tad shorter, began to withdraw slowly. He knew better than to provoke the merciless demon lord.

"Kouga, I am not pleased to hear of your activities in my territories; especially, regarding the human villages. What do you have to say to yourself?" Lord Sesshoumaru was now the judge and jury to Kouga's instant trial.

Kouga stood his ground and raised his head, " Forgive us, Lord Sesshoumaru, but we were driven from our lands in the east with this ongoing demon war you have caused with Naraku, " he said viciously, "He took and killed most of our tribe and has threatened to continue the slaughter had we not left. What were we to do with no home for my tribe and no food to keep us alive?"

Lord Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, " Naraku?" he then turned to the same demon guard that had called for him, "Summon Jaken immediately," and turning back to the wolf demons, "Regardless of your loss, causing havoc in the villages of both demon and humans is forbidden."

"But—" Kouga raised his voice and readied to pull his sword from his sheath.

"Guards, detain these wolfs and take them to the lower dungeon. They shall be interrogated later," not turning his eyes from Kouga, "I shall further investigate this matter, but you shall be my prisoner until I pass my verdict." Sesshoumaru began to turn away until Kouga outburst when the guards began to uphold them.

"We saw your human girl, Lord Sesshoumaru, I believe we should come to an agreement."

Sesshoumaru paused and his anger began to fill him, his eyes turned red, "What?" He growled, and slashed Kouga across the face. "You dare go so low as to assume I care for a human girl? Be grateful that I do not intend to kill you so quickly yet. Take them!"

The guards sped up their arrest and raced down a separate path under the entrance to the castle.

Sesshooumaru watched as the last of the wolf demons were led below his bridge entrance to the castle and then a breeze picked up and Sesshoumaru caught an unfamiliar scent; a mix of honey and vanilla, with another scent of …_fox?_ Sesshoumaru tensed. The scents were now inside the castle with Rin. He turned his had slightly and caught Jaken running frantically towards him. Sesshoumaru's anger escalated as Jaken approached him.

"Who just entered my castle?" he said seethingly.

"M-my lord," he bows quickly, "it seems that a human woman and a child fox demon were led into the castle by Rin…" Jaken closed his eyes and prepared himself for Sesshoumaru's blow, but it never came. He opened his eyes to find Sesshoumaru no longer in front of him. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" He turns back around and sees Lord Sesshoumaru already entering his castle. "Wait Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Kagome…" Shippo whispered into Kagome's ears, but even the silent whisper seemed to echo in the darkly lit study. "We need to get out of here. If Lord Sesshoumaru finds us we're finished" and Shippo began to shake uncontrollably again.

"But what about the girl? Obviously she's human, if Lord Sesshoumaru brings her no harm, then he would not bring us harm." Kagome fixated herself on the tiny girl in an orange girl's gown, who was busy ordering a small servant for some tea and bread.

"It could be a trap! I don't know a lot of magic, but I know there is magic that conceals a demon's auras and makes them appear human. She could be here to kill us!"

The little girl turned and placed herself in front of Kagome and Shippo, "Je suis desolé, I did not mean to rush you two into the castle, but it's the safest place I know," she paused and curtsied, "My name is Rin, and I hope you enjoy your stay here with me."

Kagome nodded, "My name is Kagome, and this is Shippo." Shippo waved his small hand from behind Kagome's back. "It's nice to meet you Rin, though, forgive me, but I have never met a human that lives with demons."

"Oh?" Rin tilted her head slightly, "Do you not live with the fox demon? Well, in the least, you two must be friends! I also never met another human who takes company with demons."

Kagome noticed how her eyes seem to fad in light when she spoke her last sentence. "Rin, do you live with Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Rin's head shot up at the name and she covered her mouth, "Oh no! Lord Sesshoumaru! He'll be furious!"

Kagome turned pale. "I told you!" Shippo whispered into her ear.

"Wh-what?"

And the mahogany doors were flung open. Kagome stood from her chair and backed up against a bookcase on the wall; she gasped as she felt the power of the aura emanating from the demon now entering the room. He stepped into the room and Kagome instantly noticed his strikingly grey-white hair, though tied in a low knot, that reached just below his waist; he wore a white linin shirt with a grey waistcoat under a strikingly black unbuttoned doublet, and the red collar around his neck emphasized the "slash" marks on his checks. And Kagome was then drawn to the bright gold eyes below his crescent moon marking on his forehead. _He's handsome,_she thought, though despite his beauty, she saw the shear disgust on his face at seeing her and Shippo huddled against a bookcase.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he said in equal measure of disgust as he portrayed.

Sesshoumaru now saw the source of the foreign smells in his castle and he quickly examined the woman in front of him; her light green "peasants" dress and white apron did no favor to her eyes, and overall, she had no remarkable features. She was plain, and it disgusted him that such a plain woman came into his castle. The fox demon cowering behind her ever more disgusted him. _A demon take shelter behind a human woman? Disgraceful. _

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin yelled as she ran in front of Lord Sesshoumaru, spreading her arms to stop him. "Please do not hurt them, my lord! I've brought them in the castle, please punish me instead!"

Sesshoumaru did not turn his eyes to her, but spoke, "What is the meaning of this, Rin? I did not expect you to disobey me and to allow a stranger into the castle. "His eyes were beginning to cloud over in red and he lowered his head to face her.

"I-I know, my lord, forgive me…" she brought her head down as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Sesshoumaru was surprised that her sudden wave of anguish hit him hard in the chest, but it did not subside his anger.

Kagome was frozen in her place, and staring at Lord Sesshoumaru felt like she was staring at death. Behind her back, Shippo was hyperventilating and shaking.

"Please let us go, we mean no harm." Kagome pleaded in a quiet voice, though she was intending to be braver.

Seshsoumaru's head snapped back at the girl, "Do not speak unless spoken to," he hissed.

Kagome was ready to snap back at him, but thought better. Sesshoumaru's fingers were beginning to glow green.

"But Lord Sesshoumaru, please, maybe Kagome can be my tutor!" Rin blurted as she whipped the last of the tears off her face.

"What? Who?" Sesshoumaru's eyes were now completely clouded over, "No such thing will happen, I will take care of these intruders—"

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Please!" Rin wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's waist in her attempt to prevent him from doing any harm to Kagome and Shippo.

And at the moment, it was working, Sesshoumaru was surprised again at the wave of emotions coming from Rin; it was actually paining him to want to inflict harm on the woman and fox demon.

Kagome and Shippo watched in horror and fear, they thought Lord Sesshoumaru would hurt, but instead he stopped himself and his eyes returned back to their gold color.

Sesshoumaru pried Rin off him, "Very well, Rin. They shall be your responsibility, " and looking back at Kagome and Shippo, "You two are now my prisoners. I shall send Mrs. Pots to take you to your new home."

Sesshoumaru frowned and turned to walk away, leaving Kagome and Shippo in a more frightened state than before.

**A/N 2: I give a warm thanks to Rikayu-chan! (.com/) she pretty much inspired me on Sesshoumaru's wardrobe from her artwork "Sesskag-Mirror"( .com/art/SessKag-Mirror-134905977?q=&qo=)**

**Also: Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi**


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